Like A Thunderstorm
by Tharros
Summary: General Iroh is furious when Asami Sato convinces the president to allow her to make upgrades to the United Forces airships. The project will leave him grounded in Republic City indefinitely. Asami, on the other hand, thinks Iroh is just a spoiled prince and wants nothing to do with him. Neither of them know how easily hate can be turned to love. Irosami, Irohsami. T for now.
1. Chapter 1: Apology

**A/N:** Hello all! I'm not usually one to jump headlong into stories without thoroughly planning them out first, but these characters just grabbed me like few have before. I love this pairing. It's my favorite in the LoK series. I hope you like the story!

**Disclaimer:** Bryan and Mike are the amazing creators and owners of these characters and this world and I am honored to be able to share a small part of it.

**Chapter One: Apology**

If you asked a stranger on the street about Asami Sato, odds are they would describe her as the beautiful heiress of Future Industries. They would say she was a lady of high society. They would talk about how her firebender lover had left her for her friend, the Avatar.

General Iroh did his best to be subtle as he asked around about the daughter of Hiroshi Sato, but he found that the answers he received were less than complete. No one mentioned her infuriating loyalty to technology or the way she had blatantly coaxed the president and his engineers into allowing her to upgrade the ships in Iroh's fleet. No one talked about the fact that she was smarter than most of Republic City's leading officials. No one knew she was the one who took on her father to help quell the Equalist uprising.

All anyone cared about was her beauty and her broken heart.

General Iroh needed more than that. He needed something he could use against her to force her to stop working on his airships. He didn't understand the infernal technology that she was installing and preferred the old method of using bending to run his fleet.

A month had passed since Amon's defeat, but the general was still stuck in Republic City. He had been forced to pass up several promising assignments because President Raiko insisted that the fleet receive the upgrades Asami Sato proposed. Airship commanders were flying in from all over the world to try to get a spot in the Future Industries garage, but General Iroh had, at least, been able to claim the entirety of the Future Industries workforce until his own fleet was finished.

It would be at least another month.

The feeling of uselessness bothered him the most. Iroh was a man of action, and sitting around letting someone else take control of his fleet—even if it was only for mechanical purposes—ate him alive.

He had been mulling the situation over for so long that he could feel it festering, and as a firebender, he knew that it would be better to relieve his frustrations early than to wait for them to build too high.

The general found a spot in the park need the lake, secluded from watchful eyes, and dropped into a well-practiced firebending stance. It was an ancient set of moves that his grandfather, Fire Lord Zuko, had taught him as a child.

"_The dragons were the original firebenders," the Fire Lord told Iroh, a boy of twelve at the time who was just coming into his own as a bender. Everyone said he was a late bloomer, but his grandfather seemed to have a soft spot for him nonetheless. "I learned this move set from the last surviving dragons."_

"_Was that when you were chasing the Avatar?" Iroh had asked eagerly. He loved to hear stories of his grandfather's adventures during the Hundred Year War._

_The old man chuckled to himself, nostalgia making his gold eyes go glassy. "No, Prince Iroh. When I was chasing the Avatar, I was stubborn and childish with my bending. I allowed it to stem from the anger that consumed me—anger at my father, my sister, everyone, even my Uncle Iroh. Once I joined the Avatar, I realized that I didn't have to be so angry anymore, and together, Aang and I searched for a new way to firebend. It just so happened to be the original way."_

"_So...what is the best source for firebending? What did the dragons teach you?"_

"_It's impossible to explain. They showed me visions of colors and light that I don't think even exist to our eyes. Uncle Iroh always told me that firebending comes from the breath, and he was right. But that's just the physical act of creating fire. It's really so much more. It's life."_

"_I don't understand."_

"_I never was as good at explaining things as my Uncle," the Fire Lord said. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Firebending comes from the breath, but more importantly, it comes from the heart." He poked Iroh lightly in the chest. "If you lose heart, you lose your fire."_

"_Mom says fire is the element of passion."_

_Zuko smiled. "Your mother is very wise. Use your passion to drive you and you will always possess an inextinguishable inner fire."_

Iroh breathed deeply as he glided through the familiar motions. _Left foot, right foot, turn... _He didn't have to use fire, for the Dancing Dragon managed to calm him through its repetition. It cleared his mind and strengthened his heart.

He didn't need to be angry with Asami Sato. Anger wasn't worth anything, at the end of the day, and it would get him nowhere. He finished the set and started again. _Left foot, right foot, turn..._

She wasn't the enemy. She wasn't an Equalist (in spite of what some of the tabloids insisted). She had helped the Avatar take down Amon, even though she had to go against her own father to do so. Iroh knew a few things about going against fathers to do what was right—it was all throughout his family history. He could respect that.

He started his third time through the set. _Left foot, right foot, turn..._

What he really needed to do, Iroh decided, was to face his own fears and doubts about the technology and about the mysterious woman that was working on his fleet. If he talked to her, maybe he could understand her plans and prepare himself for what to expect when his ships were returned to him. He sighed. Even if that wouldn't be for another month.

Iroh finished the Dancing Dragon a forth and final time before he stopped, stood up straight, and took a deep breath.

He was ready to confront the head of Future Industries.

* * *

Asami worked late that night, as she did most nights when she wasn't out with Korra, Mako, and Bolin. The president kept reminding her of General Iroh's numerous complaints about her work, and she wanted to finish as soon as possible just to rid herself of the guy.

She'd had few actual interactions with him in the month since Amon's defeat, but she knew he wasn't happy with her offer.

Asami scoffed at the thought. She had been trying to repay him for helping disband the Equalists and his ships were in desperate need of repairs and upgrades. Asami couldn't figure out why General Iroh was so opposed to her technology.

Briefly, she wondered if he didn't trust her, if he thought that she might still be working for the Equalists and seeking to sabotage his fleet, but that was crazy. There was still bender/non-bender prejudice in Republic City since the rebellion, but Asami had very publically sided with Korra in the fight. Sure, she wanted equality, but Amon had been striving for it in all the wrong ways.

More likely than not, General Iroh was just a stuck up prince who was used to getting his way and he had been surprised and upset when Asami out-maneuvered him by taking her offer directly to President Raiko, who was commander in chief of the United Forces. She hadn't meant to go behind Iroh's back, but Asami had also seen a business opportunity in this. If she did well, then she could clear Future Industries' name and propel her company back to the top of the market.

"Prick," she grumbled aloud, knowing no one was around to hear her. Asami was the type of person to let her anger stew. It was a flaw and she knew that. She had made her situation with Mako worse before they broke up by holding her anger and suspicions inside and becoming angrier and angrier, rather than confronting Mako directly about the issue. When she finally did talk to him—that day on Air Temple Island before the Equalists attacked the airbenders—all she had been able to do was yell at him without listening to his side of the story. It had been unfair, and she knew that, but that didn't stop her from bottling up her feelings.

"Arrogant—stupid—fire prince," she went on, emphasizing each word with a twist of her wrench. She was working on the flagship of the fleet and hung suspended in a harness above the roof. The ventilation system in this old airship was awful and Asami needed better airflow if she was going to install a heating system.

"Am I interrupting?"

Asami jumped slightly. She thought she had been alone in the garage, but the voice had come from far below her. Looking down, Asami could make out black hair and a red United Forces uniform.

She rolled her eyes. He couldn't have heard her muttering, she was too high up, but she almost wished he had.

"Actually, you are, General," she told him coolly. She wasn't going to be nice if he wasn't going to appreciate her work.

"I am sorry for that, Miss Sato," he called up to her. "But I wondered if I could have a word."

Asami groaned. "I'll be down in a minute."

"I can wait."

"Stupid princes. Stupid sense of entitlement," Asami grumbled some more, removing the steel panel she had been working on. She placed it carefully to the side and took the measurements of the hole she had made so she could work on a special vent to match.

She waited a few moments more, pretending to work in order to make the general wait. He annoyingly enough, seemed very patient.

Finally, when there was no pretending left to be done, Asami pressed a button on her harness and the cords extended slowly, lowering her to the floor. She landed lightly in front of the general and unbuckled the harness before crossing her arms over her chest. He was a handsome man, she noted (not for the first time), but she made herself think that he was the arrogant kind of good looking—like he knew and used his looks to win over women. If that was his game, it wouldn't work on her.

"Can I help you?" she asked raising an eyebrow. Maybe it wasn't the proper tone to take with royalty, but he was on her turf now.

"Actually, I wanted to come to apologize."

"Excuse me?"

The general rubbed the back of his neck, giving away his discomfort though he was otherwise composed. "It was...wrong of me to treat you like you've offended me. And it was wrong of me to take it to the president rather than coming to speak with you first."

"You got that right," Asami affirmed, pulling off her goggles. "Raiko almost shut down my company because he thought I had displeased his general."

Iroh winced. "I'm sorry. I can talk to him again if you'd like, Miss Sato."

Asami used grease-stained gloves to brush away that hair that was falling from her ponytail. "That's all right. I smoothed things over with him already." It had taken a _lot_ of convincing, but Raiko had eventually seen that Asami was only doing good things for his army.

"Maybe I could make it up to you then." Iroh paused and a conflicted look crossed his face. "Maybe...I could...take you to dinner?"

"Dinner?" Asami asked incredulously. She pushed the obnoxious hairs away again and walked around the general to her work desk. As she jotted down the dimensions of the new vent, she went on, "You would really want to have dinner with me? I thought I was the bane of your existence."

She was only partially joking.

"That's a bit harsh," Iroh said. He turned to face her at the desk but did not move any closer. "I want to be able to do my job, and I can't do that while you're holding my ships here."

Asami opened her mouth to protest, but he held up a hand and cut her off. _How like a prince_, she thought as he did so.

"_But_ I recognize that you are doing a great service to my fleet as well." He paused for a moment, but Asami paid him no mind, focusing on her notes instead. It was easier to be stiff with him when she didn't have to meet his warm gold eyes. Finally, he went on, "I'm afraid I don't understand a lot of the new technology you've installed. I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I've relied solely on bending for almost everything all my life, and that includes the running of my ship. I thought you could explain some of the basics...over dinner."

Asami looked up from her notebook and saw that his cheeks were tinged with pink. She felt a small surge of something like sympathy. There had been a time when she knew nothing of her father's equipment and he had had to teach her everything, even the simplest mechanisms.

"Okay. Dinner it is," she agreed, but all the while she started to build up her wall. This was dangerous ground. It was so similar to the way she and Mako had started their doomed relationship. She wasn't going to let herself get hurt again. Asami Sato was no helpless little girl.

General Iroh gave her a small, appreciative smile and Asami wondered how much it had taken for him to walk in here and apologize to her like that. Maybe they could get along after all.

Maybe.

"Tomorrow night then?" he asked.

Asami nodded.

"Great. I'll meet you at eight at say...Song's?"

Asami's eyebrows shot up, but she gave no other indication of her thoughts. Instead, she nodded again and forced a smile back at him. "Song's at eight. I'll be there."

Leave it to a prince to pick a place too ritzy even for her.

* * *

**A/N:** I hope you liked chapter one! This came surprisingly easy to me. Asami is probably my favorite character in the LoK series and I feel like writing her is so natural. Let me know what you think!

And because, like I said at the beginning, I started this story without a whole lot of planning, I will freely take suggestions from reviewers and see if I can work them into the story. (:

Also, can someone tell me why "Iroh," "Iroh II," AND "General Iroh" are all character sorting options on this site? I wasn't sure who to choose...

Thanks for reading and please review!

Gwen


	2. Chapter 2: Rough Start

**A/N: **You guys are awesome! Thank you so much for the reviews/favorites/alerts! I'm glad you like the story so far! And thank you for the suggestions as well. I will definitely keep them in mind as I go along. (:

**Chapter Two: Rough Start**

Asami was conflicted.

She had promised to meet General Iroh at Song's restaurant that night, but she couldn't decide what to wear. Song's was a fancy place—she had only been there once, on her fourteenth birthday with her father.

Asami had plenty of dresses that were nice enough for a place like that, but she didn't want to wear anything that might give Iroh the wrong impression. She wanted to be taken seriously as a businesswoman, not brushed off as a pretty face that got whatever she wanted.

The engineer placed her hands on her hips and studied the three dresses laid out across the bed in her room. Groaning in frustration, she flopped down on top of them, not caring if they wrinkled.

"Asami?" called a voice from outside, followed by a knock at the door. She was living in a small apartment near the Future Industries garage, unable to bear the thought of moving back into the home she had once shared with her father.

"Come in, Mako," she called back with a sigh. She didn't sit up.

"Hey, I was just—are you okay?"

Asami heard her ex-boyfriend enter the room and knew that she was lying on her stomach in a very un-ladylike manner. There was a towel wrapped in her damp hair and she wore only her bathrobe, but she had gotten too comfortable around Mako while they were dating to care how he saw her now.

"Fine," she told him. "Just can't decide what to wear."

She could here him sit down in the chair by her vanity.

"I like the red dress the best," he offered. "Where are you going?"

Asami sat up and faced him. He was perched on the edge of the chair, as if he might need to make a quick getaway. He was always like that around her lately.

"I'm going to dinner with General Iroh."

Mako blanched slightly and Asami hid a smile.

"Oh," he said, his voice a little high. "Actually...I think the grey dress is better."

The grey dress was the most modest of the three. Asami resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "It's not a date," she told him. "In case you were wondering. He wants to talk to me about the upgrades I'm giving his fleet."

"Oh, okay good." He seemed more relieved than he should have. "Because he's way too old for you."

"I'm assuming you didn't come here to talk about my love life." He really had no right to tell her who was too old or too young or too _anything_ for her.

"Er...no. I actually came to talk about mine."

Asami raised an eyebrow, but waited for him to continue.

"Korra and I are having problems," he blurted out after a moment's pause. "Again."

"Oh. I'm sorry." There was a cold edge to her voice. Why was he telling her this? "Maybe you should talk to your girlfriend about it, rather than coming to me. It's these kinds of decisions that get you into trouble, you know."

Mako groaned and leaned forward to put his head in his hands. "I hoped maybe you could tell me what to do."

Asami's eyebrows rose higher. Mako really was clueless when it came to women.

"Korra gets in these moods and she's impossible to talk to—you know that."

Asami hated how Mako had so much power to hurt her. He had been the first guy she had really loved. She'd had flings in the past, but she had felt a real connection with Mako. Then he had left her for her friend. Asami had every right to hate him, yet she couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead, she wanted to reach out and comfort him. She wanted to hold him and tell him that he should leave Korra and come back to her. He was sitting only inches away from her and he valued her opinion. That meant so much to her.

Asami had worked most of her life to get people to take her seriously and care about what she said, and Mako had willingly come to her for advice. It caused a swell of affection to rise in her.

But Asami would never do anything to hurt Korra, so she swallowed her feelings and kept her hands to herself.

"Listen, Mako," she began, forming her thoughts carefully. "You...care about Korra, right?"

"Of course," he insisted. "I love her."

Talk about a bullet through the heart. Hearing those words from him caused her stomach to twist painfully, but she tried to keep her reaction off her face. "Then...then you have to be patient with her. You just have to wait it out and...and show her how much you...care. She'll come around."

Mako nodded, staring off into space. He didn't even know how badly he had hurt her. He was too blind to see that he was reopening old wounds by having this conversation.

"Um," Asami went on, standing up and turning away from him, pretending to study the dresses while hiding the tears that threatened to spill over. "I need to get ready. You should probably go find Korra."

"Oh, right," he said, and Asami felt his hand on her shoulder. "Thanks for the help, Asami."

"Mmhm," was all she could manage. She remained frozen until she heard the front door click shut behind him.

"Ugh!" she yelled, throwing a hard punch at the wall. It left a dent, but Asami swore. She may have broken a knuckle. "_Why_ do firebenders have to be such _assholes?_" she demanded of her reflection in the vanity.

Asami suddenly had no desire to go to dinner with the general, but she was not one to break a promise. She would just have to have a nice glass of wine at the restaurant—that would help her nerves.

She picked up the third dress. It was light green in color, the same as her eyes, and simply cut. It fell to the floor when she put it on and hugged her curves nicely but not suggestively. It had a high collar that let no cleavage show. It would be perfect.

* * *

Iroh stood waiting outside the restaurant, having already been assured by the owner that the prince of the Fire Nation did not need a reservation. It was a chilly night, but that was never a problem for a firebender who knew the breath of fire.

A Satomobile pulled up promptly ay eight and parked in front of him. Asami Sato stepped out gracefully and Iroh felt his mouth go dry at the sigh of her. It was true, what everyone said. She was a beautiful woman, but Iroh appreciated the modesty of her dress. Most of the women he had seen go into Song's were dressed far skimpier.

"Good evening, Miss Sato," he said, giving a respectful bow. Asami gave him a smile that looked a little forced and handed her keys to the valet.

"Careful with her," she told the young boy. "I just realigned the tires."

The boy nodded and Asami turned back to Iroh. "Were you actually able to get a table on such short notice?"

Iroh rubbed the back of his neck. He didn't like to use his royal status to get his way, but this was an exception. "They have a free table for us."

Asami looked suspicious, but didn't comment, so Iroh pulled the door open for her and gestured for her to enter before him. Her smile of thanks looked a bit more genuine and Iroh felt somewhat pleased with himself as he followed her inside. The waiter led them to an elevator that took them to the top floor of the restaurant, where they would have an incredible view of the city.

He watched Asami's green eyes go wide as they were led to a table by the large window.

"It's good this is a one time thing," she said, voice a little awestruck, after the waiter took their drink orders. "You would _never_ be able to top this."

Iroh chuckled softly and looked out at Republic City. "You'd be surprised, Miss Sato. There are many beautiful places in the Fire Nation."

"Anyway," she went on, folding her hands together on the table. "What is it that you want to know about my technology?"

Iroh held up a hand to stop her. "In the Fire Nation, we have a rule that business may not be discussed until after the meal."

Asami looked surprised. "Really?"

"No," Iroh admitted. "But we should."

"Then...what will we talk about? I can't stand quiet meals."

"Why"

She shrugged and turned to look back out the window. "Too many dinners alone when I was a kid, I suppose." Her eyes snapped back to his. "Why do you ask?"

"I want to get to know the engineer working on my airships," he answered honestly. He gave her a smile. "Know thy enemy, right?"

Asami's jaw dropped slightly. "I wouldn't be the enemy if you would just come to your senses about all this. Honestly, my changes will lead to a more efficient—"

"No business please, Miss Sato," he cut her off gently. "And I was only joking."

Asami pouted slightly as the drinks arrived. The look suited her, Iroh thought, before mentally shaking himself. He had been forced to court too many women in his time in the Fire Nation, and found that he often jumped to quick and easy conclusions. Besides, he wasn't courting Asami Sato. They were just doing business.

Asami ordered wine—Unagi Venom red, and Iroh couldn't help but raise his eyebrows as she took a sip and gave her glass a satisfied look.

She noticed him watching her and began swirling the dark liquid slowly. "Unagis aren't actually poisonous," she explained. "It's just a name. They make it on Kyoshi Island."

"Where did you discover your taste for it?" Iroh inquired. "It's doesn't sound like something you would pick off a menu at random."

"You don't know me, general," Asami reminded him with a small, mischievous smile. "But this wine in particular was introduced to me by my grandmother. She was a Kyoshi Warrior back during the Hundred Years War. She used to swear by this stuff."

"Is she still alive?" He knew that her family might be a sensitive topic, due to the recent betrayal by her father, but Iroh was interested in a good relationship she might still have with her family.

Asami took a careful sip and shook her head. "She died a few years ago. I only saw her once a year or so anyway. She moved back to Kyoshi Island shortly after my mother was killed."

"But," Asami went on. She leaned forward a bit and put her glass down, a far-off smile on her face. "Every year on my birthday, she would send me ten bottles of Unagi Venom. She started when I was five, so I have a good supply."

"Then why not get something different here?"

An odd look crossed her face, like the thought had never even occurred to her. "Comfort, I suppose."

"Are you uncomfortable?" Iroh asked, concerned. Lots of girls had complained about him over the years, but they always said that he was too proper or didn't know how to have fun. No one had ever said he made them uncomfortable.

"Oh...no," she told him. "I mean, I'm nervous for my company and I want you to like my work. I just had an awkward encounter with someone earlier today that shook me up. "

Iroh nodded and watched her swirl the wine. "What happened to your hand?" he asked suddenly, noticing a purple bruise swelling across her knuckles.

Asami glanced down at it, looking more annoyed than hurt. "I let my anger get the better of me, unfortunately."

"How does the other guy look?"

Asami raised her eyebrows a laughed lightly. "The other guy is a wall in my apartment. It didn't even put up a fight and I still came out looking worse."

That made Iroh laugh. He liked people who could make fun of themselves—the Fire Nation nobility he usually had to deal with was much too stiff for his tastes. Iroh knew that many people saw him that way, stiff. But most of that was an act. He found that putting on a dull outward appearance kept him out of tabloids and people left him in peace.

* * *

The night went on smoothly enough, but Asami was glad when the plates were cleared away and the waiters had refilled their glasses. Iroh had switched from fire whiskey to Unagi Venom, at Asami's insistence, and she was pleased when he praised its taste.

They had talked about many things throughout dinner, but after her close call with mentioning the conversation with Mako, Asami steered clear of heavy topics. Instead, she let Iroh tell her about what it was like to have siblings, as Asami herself had none. They compared Pro Bending Teams and argued over the calls in the last match. Asami told him about a new, quieter engine that she was developing and talked about her adventures as a part of Team Avatar and Iroh spoke of the places he had seen and the things he had done with the United Forces.

But she was running out of things to say.

It had been a long day and she was tired of being charming. So when the last of the plates were gone, she once more folded her hands on the table and looked at him expectantly.

"You have a one track mind, Miss Sato," Iroh commented with a small laugh.

"I don't have time for much else these days."

"Then I suppose we should start with the changes you are making to my ships. How extensive are they, exactly?"

Asami felt the tension drain out of her. Work was something she could talk about easily.

"It actually varies from ship to ship. Some of them are newer models. Your flagship, however, is the most outdated of the lot. It didn't have a proper targeting system—it hardly had any firepower at all. I installed guns in the front of the ship, as well as bays on the bottom that drop bombs or missiles, like the planes my father used to attack the fleet during the revolution. I'm currently working on a heating system, but it's more complicated than I anticipated because we're having to cut away a lot of the original metal of the ship."

"How does a heating system work, exactly?"

Asami saw an embarrassed blush rise in his cheeks. He had probably never had to worry about such a thing before, she thought, seeing as he was his own personal furnace.

She looked around, trying to decide the best way to explain. Her eyes settled on napkin left on the table and she pulled it toward her, grabbing a pen from her purse.

"Like this," she began, sketching the outline of his ship.

* * *

Iroh realized he had been wrong before. A pout did not suit Asami Sato. The way her face lit up when she talked about her work suited her far better, and Iroh couldn't help but smile as he watched her sketch.

When she was finished explaining, he nodded. "That makes sense, but is it necessary? Most of the people on my ship are firebenders. We don't need a heating system."

Asami pursed her lips and Iroh realized he had said something wrong.

"It's just like a bender to think that bending can solve everything." She sounded disappointed. "The rest of us have to find other ways to do things, and sometimes those ways are better. At least they can benefit everyone rather than only the bender."

"I can keep other people warm," he retorted. Now he was the one that was pouting.

Asami rolled her eyes. "Do you though? Do you even think about it?"

When he said nothing, Asami went on, "I didn't agree with the Equalist's methods, but they did actually have some good points, you know. Benders can get so caught up in their little powerful worlds that they forget that there are people that can't keep themselves warm or pull the water from their wet clothes or make a footstool out of earth. And when they do stop to think about it, they see us as weak, but we're not. That's what Future Industries is all about—making things possible for everyone, not just benders."

"I understand that, but I'm merely asking about my own ship, which is run mainly by benders." Iroh didn't mean to sound so sharp, but he wanted her to see that he didn't need everything that she was proposing. If she could just give him back his own ship, at least he could go rendezvous with some of the other officers and work with them until the rest of his fleet was finished.

"What if it isn't always run by benders, general?" Asami snapped. "What if the next general is a non-bender? What if he or she needs a heating system? Or extra guns?"

Iroh knew he should quit now, but a part of him refused to back down from a fight. "Then upgrade it when that general is appointed and don't waste my time."

Asami narrowed her eyes. "I'm going to finish your ship, general," she told him coolly. "Thank you for dinner."

With that, she stood and walked to the elevator, disappearing behind its sliding doors.

Iroh pinched the bridge of his nose. "I am an _idiot_."

* * *

**A/N:** A few notes to clarify some things:

Hiroshi Sato is confirmed as being Fire Nation in origin, so the Kyoshi Warrior grandmother is her mother's mother, since Asami's mother is never stated as being of particular nationality. Asami has green eyes, so it makes sense for her mother to be from the Earth Kingdom.

The Asami/Mako interaction at the beginning of the chapter is going to be used as a springboard to show Asami's strengthening of character, etc. So don't think that she's just some little girl to cry over a boy. She's going to get over it. And I think it adds to her dislike of Iroh at the beginning. She's not in the mood for men right now.

I haven't decided yet if I want Iroh to be crown prince or to have an older sibling. In our world, a lot of princes with older siblings go into the military, but in the world of Avatar, it seems that the crown prince is expected to lead the army (the first General Iroh is a prime example). So I could go either way on this and am open to your thoughts.

Thanks again to those of you who favorited/alerted/left reviews! They mean the world to me!

Gwen


	3. Chapter 3: Respect

**A/N: **You guys are seriously so fantastic. Your compliments and support have absolutely brightened my days and I am blessed to have readers/and reviews like all of you. (: Much love.

I do want to address a few comments/questions that have been brought up:

This story takes place one month after the fall of Amon and the ending of Book One, so it does not conflict with the events of Book Two, which occurs six months after Book One. This story occurs in those six months, with the general idea being that the Harmonic Convergence, etc. will still occur, but for the purposes of this story, Iroh and Asami will have a different relationship.

As for Asami/Korra: I kind of dig it, to be honest. I think it was really cool of Bryke to go through with a controversial idea and I think it's really empowering. That said, I will stick to Irohsami for this story. Korra and Asami will remain platonic.

**Previously**: Asami is working on installing upgrades on General Iroh's fleet, leaving him grounded in Republic City, much to his displeasure. He doesn't understand the new technology, having always relied on his bending, so he invites Asami to dinner so that she can explain what she is doing to his ships. However, their differences arise and he wonders why he even needs the upgrades since most of his fleet is powered by benders anyway. Asami gets angry and leaves.

**Chapter Three: Respect**

There were no turtle ducks in Republic City.

It was a shame, Iroh mused, as he sat beneath a shady tree in the park and watched the lake ripple in the midday breeze. Back at the royal palace in the Fire Nation, the ponds housed nearly fifty of the endangered creatures and Iroh had grown used to watching them frisk about in the water as he thought.

The general sighed heavily. Nothing about Republic City really enthralled him. It was big and ostentatious and though he respected everything that the city and its monuments represented, Iroh preferred the less commercialized corners of the world.

"Prince Iroh! I was hoping to find you here."

Iroh looked up to see a woman a few years younger than he. She had dark hair pulled up into a bun and wore square glasses around her brown eyes. She held a pen poised over a pad of paper.

"I'm from _The Republic Report_ newspaper and was wondering if I could ask you a few questions."

Iroh sighed. He couldn't exactly tell her he was busy. He was sitting alone in the park doing absolutely nothing. How did these people always manage to find him?

"Go for it," he said resignedly, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Word is you went out on a date with Asami Sato of Future Industries. Tell me, was it love at first sight?"

He felt a blush rise in his cheeks. Everyone could always read everything on his face and the general hated it. "Are you from a newspaper or a tabloid?"

"We are a highly respected source of information on Republic City's leading citizens." She pushed her glasses up on her nose.

"Miss Sato and I did _not_ go on a date. It was a business meeting. She explained to me some of the upgrades she's been installing on my fleet."

"Oh _please._ You went to _Song's_. And I saw that dress she was wearing with my own eyes. Did you kiss her?"

"What? No! It_ wasn't_ a date."

The reporter ignored him, scribbling on her pad. "The Fire Nation _will_ need an heir soon, I imagine. Is your family pushing you into a relationship?"

Iroh was used to being attacked by questions. He was used to reporters not really listening to what he said. But he had never been particularly good at getting out of these situations.

"Er...no. I—"

"And how old are you anyway? This could cause some sort of scandal if you're _too _old. Asami Sato is Republic City's princess, of sorts, you know."

Princesses didn't work in greasy garages, Iroh thought fleetingly. He had to get out of this conversation before things go even worse.

"I have no intention of courting Miss Sato," he said, standing. "My family has nothing to do with any of this. Miss Sato and I are just doing business together. Have a nice day."

He didn't like the light in the reporter's eyes as he walked away.

* * *

Asami swung her right fist in a quick, controlled motion, slamming it into the pad Bolin was wearing on his left forearm. She did it again, then followed with an identical punch from her left arm.

The two were in the training room under the Pro-Bending Arena. Training rights had been restored after Amon's demise, but the large room was empty save for them.

"Are you sure there isn't something on your mind?" Bolin asked for what must have been the fifth time that hour. "Because you really seem like—Agh!"

He grunted and stumbled back as she took a knee to the pad around his chest.

Asami said nothing, but kept her eyes focused on the exercise at hand. She hoped it would help her release some of her anger at General Iroh from the night before, and Bolin had the misfortune of being her Fire Prince stand-in.

"You know," Bolin went on, his voice raising an octave as he barely recovered before she knocked him back with another punch to the gut. "I think I like Fix-It Asami better than Chi-Blocking Warrior Asami."

She punched again, but he dodged it and ducked to get out of her path. He held up his hands in surrender, but that only made it easier to aim at the pads. Asami made another swipe, this one a bit less controlled as she let her anger get the better of her.

_How dare General Iroh say that to me, a non-bender?_ she fumed silently. _He can't possibly think that I would side with him and let his bending continue to make everything easier on him and not on everyone else._

Asami thought bending was an amazing gift, and she was so proud of her friends that used that gift in beautiful and powerful ways, but she also knew that they often relied on their bending to a point that they forgot that other people couldn't do the same things they could.

Firebenders started the Hundred Years War. Firebenders killed her mother. A firebender had broken her heart. And now, a firebender was ruining her best chance at getting Future Industries back off the ground.

"Asami!"

Bolin's yell broke her out of her daze, and she realized that she had been swinging wildly at him, not bothering to aim for the pads. Her most recent punch had found his nose.

Her hands fell to her sides.

"Oh, Bolin. I'm _so_ sorry." His nose was bleeding now. She quickly took off her boxing gloves and led him to a bench to sit down.

Using one hand to staunch the flow, Bolin put the other on her shoulder and smiled. "Psh. I'b hab worsh. Bud now you owe be. Whad'z on your mibe?"

Asami winced and pulled a handkerchief from her pocket. "Here, let's go find the healer first."

He nodded and moments later, they were sitting in the small infirmary run by a mean-spirited waterbender named Lana.

"I see you and your brother more than most of the other pro-benders combined," Lana grumbled, smoothing water over the earthbender's face with wrinkled hands. "Ever since that Avatar joined your team..."

"Actually, it was my fault this time," Asami offered with a grimace.

Lana's blue eyes widened slightly. "But you look so fragile, Miss Sato."

"Common misconception." Asami put a hand on her hip and rolled her eyes.

The healer shrugged and soon left them alone.

"I'm sorry, Bo," Asami repeated, sitting on the bench across from him. "I started thinking about what General Iroh said at dinner last night and—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. _You_ went to _dinner_ with _General Iroh?_ As in _Prince of the Fire Nation_ General Iroh?"

"Yes," Asami huffed and crossed her arms. "He said that he wanted me to tell him about the new tech I've been installing in his airships, but all he did was complain and try to convince me that he didn't need my help because he had his bending."

"Wait. Let me get this straight. You went to dinner with the prince of the Fire Nation?"

"Yes. Bolin. Pay attention," Asami said. He was clearly missing the point.

A wide grin spread across his face. "No, you pay attention, Asami! Do you know what this means?"

Asami quirked an eyebrow. "That the prince of the Fire Nation is a jerk?"

Bolin gave her a sympathetic look, as if _she_ was the one that was missing the point.

"Nope. You, Asami Sato, went on a date with royalty!"

At that, Asami's jaw dropped and she suddenly wished Lana were still in the room to back her up.

"No, no, no. It was a business meeting. And one that went very poorly. It was pretty much the opposite of a date."

"Where did you go?"

Asami hesitated, knowing what it would sound like. "...Song's," she mumbled.

The silly grin burst back onto his face. "Song's!? Asami, there is _no way_ you can tell me that wasn't a date!"

"It wasn't!"

"You know what I'd say?" He raised an eyebrow knowingly, breaking into his Guru-Bolin routine. "I'd say you're afraid of love."

Asami's jaw dropped again. "I'm not afraid of anything."

"It's okay to admit it. I'm afraid of lots of things—lightning mosquitoes, undercooked meats,  
Korra's dad..."

Asami's bad mood dissipated a little. Bolin was good that way. She pushed away a few strands of hair that had fallen from her ponytail.

"It probably didn't help that Mako came to see me about an hour before I had to meet General Iroh," she told him honestly. After everything she, Mako, Bolin, and Korra had been through, there was little need to keep secrets from each other.

Bolin leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and looking at her intently. "What did he say?"

"He wanted advice about Korra." Asami didn't meet his eyes. "He...he told me he loved her."

"Uncool." Bolin winced. He moved to sit next to Asami and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I know Mako's my brother and I should side with him, but he's been a real jerk to you, Asami."

"Thanks, Bo," she told him.

Asami knew he was right. She knew that she had every reason to hate Mako and push him out of her life, but she wanted to be strong. She wanted to be the one to say that all was well and move on. She didn't want to show any weakness.

"You know what else I think?" Bolin went on after a moment.

"Hmm?"

"I think that you deserve to be happy, Asami Sato. Just like I think _I_ deserve to be happy. We're awesome people, you know." Asami smiled and Bolin went on. "Let Mako and Korra do whatever they want—they're kind of perfect together anyway, all brooding and dramatic."

"I've been rather brooding and dramatic myself lately," Asami admitted.

"Let yourself have some fun," said Bolin, shaking her shoulder a little. "Just...maybe not in the boxing ring with me."

"Maybe I will," said Asami. "But likely not with General Iroh, either."

"That's fine, that's fine. But he's probably _loaded."_

"Bolin. _I'm_ loaded."

"Oh. Right."

"Er...Am I interrupting?"

Asami and Bolin looked to see the tall frame of General Iroh filling the infirmary doorway.

Bolin jumped up and saluted dramatically. "Not at all your General Highness."

Iroh threw him a strange look, but Asami was used to Bolin's antics. She merely gave the prince an expectant look, waiting for him to announce his purpose in being there.

"Avatar Korra told me I might find you here," he said rather vaguely, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was hoping we could talk, Miss Sato."

Asami was suddenly very aware of his tight fitting tank top and pants she had worn for training, but she held her head high. "If you're here to try to convince me to stop working on your ship, you're wasting your time."

"Er...I'm just going to, uh, go...somewhere," Bolin said, grabbing Pabu and awkwardly sidling out of the infirmary, leaving Asami alone with the general. From the door, Bolin gave her a wide grin and a thumbs-up. She pursed her lips.

"It's not that," Iroh said. He stood near the door, making no move to come closer to her. "I'm not here to talk about my ships."

Asami's furrowed eyebrows slackened. "Oh...okay...then what is it?"

"I just wanted to apologize...again."

His voice sounded strained, and Asami sighed. "Listen, General, I know you had a royal upbringing and you probably feel obligated to do this, but I'm not interested in an apology that isn't genuine."

"What about this makes you think I'm not genuine?"

"You look like a caged hogmonkey for one," Asami pointed out. "Fidgeting, avoiding eye contact. And it sounded like you really meant all those things you said at dinner, so why would you apologize for what you believe?"

She got up and moved to stand a few feet in front of him, hands on her hips and an inquiring look in her eyes. Asami didn't want to start another argument, but she didn't want people to give her anything unless they meant it either.

The general bristled slightly, fire burning in his gold eyes. "You insult me, Miss Sato. You think me that ignorant to believe everything I said at dinner?"

"Well, you said it, didn't you?"

"In the moment, yes, but upon further reflection, I realized that I was only saying those things out of anger. You...you wound me up and I wasn't thinking clearly."

Asami rolled her eyes. Why did he always have to be so proper? It was hard to believe a word he said when everything sounded so scripted.

"Fine," she huffed, grabbing her gym bag and throwing it over her shoulder. "Whatever. It really doesn't matter. We're sort of at an impasse. I'll try to get your ships done as soon as I can, okay?"

"That's not forgiveness, Miss Sato. I came here hoping for reconciliation."

"Life's full of disappointment."

She made to brush by him, but his firm hand on her shoulder stopped her. Asami narrowed her eyes, mentally preparing the quick series of jabs that would leave him momentarily paralyzed, just in case.

Sensing her tension, Iroh drew his hand away, but remained solidly in front of her.

"There's no need for hostility, Miss Sato. I would like for us to get along, but if the most I can ask for is civility, then at least give me that."

Asami sighed and ran a hand through her hair, yanking it out of the tight ponytail. "I can be perfectly civil, general, but you have to keep in mind that I'm a non-bender. I have a different perspective than you and you need to respect that."

* * *

Iroh looked down at Asami as she spoke, admiring the fire in her green eyes. There was no reserve there, no concern about offending royalty. It was new, and he wasn't sure how to feel about it.

He could practically touch the walls that Asami was putting up around herself. He understood, in a way. He had been there in the jail cell when her father came and asked for her forgiveness. Iroh didn't blame her for feeling betrayed by her father. He didn't blame her for pushing him away. Iroh had been there, too, when the Avatar had said she was going after Amon. He had been there when Mako chose Korra over Asami. He should expect nothing less than walls from Asami Sato. Bolin was likely the only person she _didn't_ push away.

"Respect is at the heart of every successful relationship," Iroh told her. Then he caught himself. "Er, business relationship, that is." His cheeks were going red again. "I will respect your opinion, and try to see things from your perspective."

Asami raised an eyebrow. "It's true. And I respect you, general." It sounded like it was a bit difficult for her to say it. "You saved Republic City from the Equalists. You were really brave. I guess I never properly said 'thank you,' did I?"

"Not that I can recall, but do not trouble yourself about it. I was just doing my duty."

"Regardless." She paused, running a hand through her long hair. "Anyway, I should get going."

"Oh, right, of course." He moved out of the way and followed her through the door. They left the gym together and Asami jumped into her car, parked on the side of the road.

"Um...do you need a ride somewhere?" she asked, but the look on her face told him she wanted to be alone.

He bowed. "Thank you, but no. I prefer to walk." It was true.

"All right...well I should have a progress report ready on your ships by the end of the week if you'd like to come by the garage."

"I will, yes. Thank you."

She drove away and Iroh put his hands in his pockets. He could just hear his mother's voice in his head _Royalty doesn't walk around with their hands shoved in their pockets and their backs all hunched over_. But Iroh didn't really care at the moment. It would be better if people didn't recognize him anyway. He wanted to get back to the villa where he was staying.

The sky rumbled. It looked like it might rain.

* * *

**A/N:** I really am sorry for being gone for so long! Hopefully I will be a more consistent updater now. For update info/questions, you can visit my tumblr: .com (no spaces or brackets).

Check out the Lily/James story I will be posting later today if you're interested! It's called _Looking on Tempests_.

Reviews are love and FFN working again!

Gwen


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